2018 Porsche 911 Carrera T first drive review: the way forward for a classic Page 2

From there, the Carrera T fills in the blanks: standard sport exhaust that dials in bass from the 3.0-liter turbo-6 planted behind the rear axle. The stability and traction controls let their hair down lower in the Carrera T compared to the Carrera.

But the Carrera T makes 370 horsepower like the standard car. Its power isn’t wholly different than that base car either, which is good. It’s still a free-revving thing despite its turbos, and the engine reaches toward a 7,500-rpm redline that literally and figuratively screams.

The suspension is lower by a fraction of an inch from the factory, and the same setup is available on nearly a dozen other 911s. Optional rear-axle steering on the Carrera T makes a cameo too, but only if tighter turning circles don’t equal heresy for you.

2018 Porsche 911 Carrera T first drive

The road ahead > the road behind

Through the road and behind the wheel, the Carrera T’s drama is every bit intact despite its parts-bin genesis. The existence in other cars of most of the bits that comprise the Carrera T doesn’t spoil it at all, it’s a whole-sum car.

It transcends its rear-weight bias of more than 60 percent to delight its front passengers beyond numbers.

The Carrera T responds in a progressive, naturally aspirated way, but with turbocharged immediacy. It rolls out of corners in ways that purists would recognize as vintage Porsche, sped up with new technology. The throttle presses forward directly proportional to my courage, and exponentially proportional to my smile. Small stabs make big grins.

It’s an occasion for remembering where the 911 can go as it enters a new generation. Where it has been matters, too, but not as much, we think.
The road ahead looks clear from here.

Porsche provided travel and lodging to Internet Brands Automotive travel to bring you this firsthand report.